Bottle washer



*May 4 1926.

O. ANDERSON, JR, ET AL BOTTLE WASHER Filed Oct. 15

2 Sheets-Shoot 1 Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED srarssrars v 1,5s3,z1e

NT OFFICE.

OSCAR ANDERSON, JR., AND THOMAS MCCARTHY, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

' BOTTLE WASHER.

Application filed October 15, 192a Serial No. 868,671..

chusetts have invented certain new and usei ful Improvements in Bottle Washers; and

we do declare the following'to be a full,"

clear, and exact description of they inven: tion, such as will enable others 'skilledin the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

Cur invention relates to improvements in bottle washers of the type in which a wash ing brush is carried and operated by a shaft, one object being to produce a unique means, in the form of a cylinder through which the shaft passes, for guidingthe brush into the bottle to be cleaned, and for receiving the brush as it is withdrawn from the bottle, thus preventing any of the washingliquid from being spattered onto the operator, by the brush, both when washing the bottle and when withdrawing the brush through the 2 ,bottle neck;

the type set forth, which may be engaged either with a milk bottle, or with the neck of another form of bottle, such as a beverage bottle or a nursing bottle. 7

In the preferred construction, reciprocation of the shaft through the cylinder, produces rotation of said shaft, and a further aim is to provide novel bearing means for the shaft preventing binding thereof on the walls of the guides through which it passes.

Yet another object is to make improved provision for connecting the brush to the shaft, in such a manner as togive free movement to said brush within thebottle being cleaned.

It is another object ofthe invention to provide a bottle cleaning device which will be simple andinezpensive, yet will be efficient and desirable, and extremely easy to operate.

WVith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented ,by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing-one form of the washer engaged with a milk bottle.

Figure2 is a vertical sectional view showing the devlce on the neck of another form of bottle.

Figures 3- and iars transverse sectional views on lines 3-8 and 4+4 of Fig. 2. I Figure 51s an enlarged lOIiglfltClillElflSGG,

tion showing the manner brush to the shaft. v

Figure 6 is a detail transverse section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional'view of attaching the 'of a modified form of'constr'uction.

Figure Sis a view similar'to Fig. 7 but showing a still further formof construction.

Figure 9 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the handle and its A bearings.

In the drawings above briefly described,

the numeral 1 designates a straight shaft formed by twisting two lengths ofstiff Wire 2, together, the lower end of saidshaft be-V ing provided with a bottle cleaning brush 3, whilethe upper end of said shaft is equipped with a suitable handle 4. In con-c e V v heating the brush 8 with the shaft'l, We Another object is to provide a cylinder of screw or pin 9 being passed across said sleeve and through the eye. ,By'this construction, the brush 1s connected with the shaft for free movement in a bottle being washed so that all parts of thelatter may be reached, and it will be seen that by removing the screw 9, the brush may be detached if desired. f

The preferred manner of connecting the handle with the shaft 1, is shown most particularly in Fig. 9. A metal sleeve 10 is sols dered or otherwise secured around the upper end of the shaft, said sleeve being provided near its? upper end with an outstanding bearing flange 11., This flange portion-of the sleeve is received, in an internal recess 12 in the handle t, and opposite sides of said recess are provided with ball races 13, be tween which and the flange 11, hearing balls let are positioned. Thus, an anti-frietion connection is established between the handlev and shaft which permits freev rotation of. the latter within said handle. This handle is preferably of the two-part construction disclosed in Fig. 9 with the two sections connected in any suitable manner as indicated at 15.

We provide a lightweight: cylinder 16 through which the shaft 1 passes, said cyllnderbeing formed of wood, aluminum,for any'other desired material; The upper end of this cylinder is closed by a head 17' through which the shaftl passes, while the lower end of'tnis cylinder is open- This lower end, asshown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, is preferably of such external'diarnefor as to be receivable .snugly'in the mouth of a milk bottleB and such'intern'al diameter as to be applicable about the neck of a 7 smaller bottle Q", for instance a nursing bottle. To limit: the insertion of the bottle neck into the cylinder 16, thelatterls provided with an internal stop shoulder 18 and this shoulder is preferably flared downwardly to accommodate bottle necks of.

slightly varying sizes.

If desired, instead of using the'stop shoulder 18, a split wire ring 18 may be engaged with an internal groove 18? in the lower portion of'the cylinder 16, as shown in Fig. 7. This construction is used principally when the device is employed for cleaning beverage bottles. I

Snugly held in a suitable socket'or recess 19, in the head 17, is a metal bearing cylinder 20 whose end walls 21 have openings 22 through which the shaft 1 passesydiametrically opposite points of the walls of said openings, being provided with'proj ections 23 receivable in the diametrically opposed ways which are formed in the shaft 1, by its twisted wire formation. It will thus be seen that when the shaft is reciprocated through the cylinder 16, the slowly pitched ways of said shaftand the projections 23,-

will coact, inrotating' said shaft. To prevent binding of the-shaft against thewalls of the openings 22, by accurately centering said shaft in the bea 1ing'cylinder 20, we

fill the portion of the shaft ways within the cylinder 20, with two rows of bearing balls .2 1, each row being equal in length to'the internal length of said cylinder 20. All of the. balls 24 engage the wall of the cylinder 20 and thus the shaft 1 is accurately centered in the'latter and it willnot whip or bind excessively uponthe walls of the openings 22, thereby producing a devicewhich will operate with extreme ease.

In the form of construction shown in Figs.

1and 2, the cylinder 20 is held in the recess 19' by a cap plate v25 secured to thehead 17 b'y countersunk'screws26'. In the construe tion illustrated in Fig. 7, the head 17 is provided with anupper section 25 separate from its lower portionandsecured thereto in any desired manner, the two sections of the head being jointly recessed to provide the socket or the like 19. if in Fig. 8, the cylinder 20 is held in place by a cap plate 25" seated in a countersink 27 in the upper end. of theheadi 17, the edge wall of the countersink being preferably turned slightly as indicated at 28', to secure the plate 25 in place.

If desired, any form of thed'evice may be provided with an inlet valve 29 connected with a suitable pipe or hose 30 for conductin water or any other washing liquid to ill'lG lDiQllOli of thecyhnder 16 and consequently supplying such liquid to the bottlebeing. washed.

This construction is shown only inF 1g. 8'.

To apply the idevice to a bottle, the shaft 1 is moved upwardly through the cylinder 16 to position the brush 3 in the'latter'. Then,

the lower end ofisa id cylinderis; engaged" with thebottletolbe cleaned and the shaft is forced downwardly, thusm'oving the brush into. the. bottle, the latter having-been previously filledto a suitable. extent with acleanioo vice is removed from'the bottlesneck, the

brush 3 is drawn into the cylinder 16. This is greatly. advantageous over ordinary forms of bottle washers, in which the brush bristles throw the washing liquid upon the operator as they snap outofthe bottle neck.

The device is simple and inexpensive, yet is efficient anddesirable andmay be operated very easily.

As excellent results may he obtained from 1 the details disclosed, these details ma-y we'll lac-followed, but-within thescopeofthe invention as claimed, iuu'nerous'minor changes may be made.- M

We claim:

1. A bottle cleaner comprising a body formed with a central socket, a bearing cylinder secured in said socket and having end walls formed with alined openings, a

shaft passing through said openings andhaving slowly pitched helical ways, said body having portions received in saidw'aysto produce rotary motion of: the shaft when the latter is .reclprocated, and rows of bearing balls in the portions ofsaid ways within said bearing cylinder, saidi balls-engaging the acylinder: Wall.

2. A device of the class described com-prismg a shaft and a hollow cylinder having openings in its end Walls through which said shaft passes, said cylinder and shaft being relatively reciprocable and the latter 5 being formed with slowly pitched ways, said cylinder having portions received in said ways to produce IOtfitlOIl Of the shaft, and

rows of bearing balls in the portions of said Ways Within the cylinder, said balls engaging the Wall of said cylinder.

In testlmony whereof We have hereunto V afiixed our si 

